Variable railway axle



April 23, 1- M. F. TORAZZI 1,803,080

VARIABLE RAILWAY AXLE Filed May 1, 1 929 y Jig 2 I 5 a 2 6 I Inventor Patented Apr. 28, 1931 barren sir-ares seaoso MARIO FRANCIS TORAZZI, F VANCOUVER, BRITISH GOLUMBIArCANAEA VARIABIiE RAILWAY AXLE Application filed May 1, 1929. Serial 110.3593. a i

This invention relates to improvements in railway car and wagon axles and has for its object the provision of an axle adapted to allow either wheel of the two wheels comprising a pair to increase or diminish its revolutions irrespective of the revolving speed 'of'its mate in such pair, and to accomplish this fea ture with safety, and in a form of construction not necessitating changes in the construction of the vehicle in'use or the form of'journal or bearing standardized by any railway using the invention applied to their axles. 1

The working conditions of arailroad axle are so exacting, and its position in civilization so important, that great care must be exercised by those responsible for the choice, design and manufacture'of thearticle. Any error in construction or inthe maintenance of an axle and pair of wheels is likely to result in great loss of life and property. Thisp'ossibility has been kept sight of in my invention. v

The wheel and axle resistance is the greatest factor contributingto the total drawbar pull on a locomotive and of this resistance the greatest item is that of one wheel grinding off the surface of the rail and itself due to its mate having to perform a greater path under certain conditionsas herein set forth.

day it is the practice to rigidly apply the two wheels on the axle shaft such Wheels being pressed on to the required position under a predetermined hydraulic pressure, therefore '35 to all practical purposes maybe regarded as fixed to the axle. e I

It is therefore quite obvious that when an axle containingtwo wheels passes around a railway curve the outer wheel'must perform 40 a greater circumferential path than its mate, the inner wheel.

This being the case, the inner wheelmust slip on the ball of the rail resulting in abrasive friction, which is serious enough, but

5 further than this, also has the effect of pushing the axle towards the outer rail adding-to the load on the outer wheel flanges which are already suffering from the stresses due to centrifugal force of the mass of the car.

As proof of the beneficial effect of freeing In general mainline railway workingto-v the outer wheel of the stranglehold of the inner wheel one has only to witness the result of placing oil or grease on the top of the inner rai'l when it is noticed that the instant; the outer wheel is free from the drag of the inner wheel the resistance. immediately, drops. and the flanges on the outer rail cease to grind and without any oil being put on such outer flanges, v i I i i In an attempt to enable two wheels to adjust themselves to the difference in radiusbe} tweentjhe inner and outer rail on a curve,the wheels are coned on the treads. Thus the outerr wheel is expected to present an increased circumference to the outerrail and the inside wheel a decreased circumference to the inner rail, irrespective of what variations may be met in the radii of the several curves onajrailway. e a

I-lnfortunately this doesnot act. in practice, for the commonand fixed slopeof a wheel cone cannot change to every curve met, therefore broadly speaking the requirements are not fulfilled. Another serious drawback to a 5 the cone system is-its detrimental eifect on straight railtrack for the. following reason: I When Iatrain is travelling at a fair speed the cars comprising such train swing or oscillate from side to side the amount of oscillation is a variable factor and depends on speed combined. with the condition ofroadbed, but is alwaysa-featur'e oftrain disturbance; 'Under this swaying action the treads of the wheels present two diameters at any one given moment and resistance is set upon the drawbar of the locomotive in proportion, to e the conic form of the wheel and thenumber of wheels in atrain at any given degree of oscil lation, therefore in a train consisting ofa great number of cars the totalaverage resistance is considerable.

'In my invention all these drawbacks and deficiencies are eliminated, one wheel may travel at a different circumferential speed than its mate. One special feature is that no bolts, nuts, split pins or rivets arevused as fastenings. The device is so formed'as to stand up to the conditions of strength required, it merely being necessary to increase 1 or diminish material to meet the predeter- 45 sufficient prearranged depth to preclude the mined load conditions likely to be imposed on any particular size of axle in which my invention is embodied.

Broadly speaking, the invention rests in the manner in which an axle and special appurtenances are adapted to allow of the differentiation between the two wheels and such briefly consists of making what is now a single axle shaft into an axle of two shanks such shanks adapted to provide a short floating centre dowel at their centre of gyration, and formed to provide flanges which when covered by a special shrouding cup are held together, free to perform a relative difference in revolutions but prevented from parting as is hereinafter described.

In the drawings like numerals indicate like parts.

' Figure 1 is an elevation showing relative position of the invention.

Figure 2 is a broken part section showing chief elements of invention.

Figure?) is an end view thereof.

Figures 4 and 5 are views of parts.

A shank of axle steelis formed to provide the dimensions required by railroad standards for wheel positions and journal size as on member 1. Such shank members 1 are further adapted to provide on each thereof a circular flange 2 of predetermined diameter and thickness, and said axle shanks in the central axis thereof are'bored to form short holes Bof any required diameter and depth into which is inserted a dowel or centering pin 4 so dimensioned as to be of a close revolving fit therein and preferably to be formed to Y ha'vefan increase in diameter in the centre as indicated.

A split shrouding member 5 is adapted to be positioned over flanges 2 and enlarged surface 6, such split shroud member 5 further adapted to receive two retaining rings 7 which when heated close down on cooling to rest in recess 8 said recess 8 being formed completely around the two halves of shroud 5 and of danger of rings7 slipping off under vibration. I

The beforementioned flanges 2 of shanks 1 are preferably made smooth as also the faces 11 and 12 thereof. The dowel pin t may contain a hole longitudinally the entire length at about the central axis and another hole to cut this hole at right angles, for the purpose of allowing air'to escape from within the cavities 3 when such dowel pin is being inserted such holes also being advantageous in the better distribution of lubricating composition or oil.

The duty of the dowel pin 4 isto centralize the-flanges 2 and maintain them in true conshare of the bending moment set up by the' load on the axles transmitted along the line CD. Any suitable holes or fittings may be installed for the purpose of applying lubrication.

It will be seen that there is a total absence of bolts, nuts, rivets or cotters of any description, the rings 7 being the only form of fastening used, therefore there is no fastening member likely to come unscrewed, unless of course users prefer to screw the shroud member at or about the minor diameter 8 and screw the rings 7 internally as a device of fastening which they may do without affecting the spirit of my-invention.

In assembly, two shanks 1 are forged and machined to provide the profiles and centre hole as indicated, the dowel pin 4 is inserted after some desired quantity of lubricating matter has been applied, the shroud member 5 placed in position, the rings 7 of diameter small enough for shrinkage purpose are heated to pass over ends of 8 and on cooling shrink into position as shown, tightly gripping the two halves of shrouding 5 and safe from slipping off said ishrouding. The flanges 2 meet on the line AB, Figure 1.

In operation the performanceor functioning is quite simple, under normal conditions of perfectly straight track and no sway, the elements comprising the complete load carrying axle, Figure 1, merely revolve as a solid axle. When, however, the wheels pass around a curve, one wheel may revolve at the required increase without its mate being torn around on the rail top. Further when a car sways to present the flange and major diameter of wheel to one rail or the other, a differential adjustment also takes place.

This is due to the fact that the shroud 5 is just a tight working fit over the flanges 2 and surface 6 holding the faces 11 and 12 in a nice rubbing contact. The dowel pin 4 is stressed partly in shear and partly bending moment butis free to float or revolve within the axle centre.

Suggestions have from time to time been made relative to the necessity of some form of differential axle at times accompanied by definite proposal to secure this effect, so I do not claim as novel the discovery of this necessity or the distressing conditions leading up to same, but Ido claim as having discovered a practical, simple, cheap and safe device for the requirements, such being accomplished entirely without alterations to car frames, journals, axle boxes and without the use of loose wheels, internal shafting bolts, nuts and extraneous fastenings.

What I claim is:

1. A. railway axle comprising sections aligned and having their inner ends contacting and formed with axially extending sockets having enlarged meeting ends, a dowel pin'having its end portions rotatably received aligned and having their inner ends contacting and formed with axially extending registering sockets having their meeting outer ends enlarged to form an annular recess in the axle, a dowel pin mounted in the sockets of said axle sections and having its intermediate portion enlarged to form an annular shoulder engaged in said recess, the meeting ends of the axle sections being formed with circumferentially extending outstanding flanges about the enlarged outer ends of the sockets, a split shroud fitting snugly about the inner end portion of said axle sections and rotatable thereon, the intermediate portion of said shroud being formed with an internal annular recess receiving the flanges of said axle sections to prevent longitudinal movement of the shroud and axle sections relative to each other while permitting rotation thereof relative to each other, and means to retain said shroud in place about the axle sections.

3. A railway axle comprising sections aligned and having their inner ends contacting and formed with registering sockets, a dowel pin mounted in the pockets of said axle sections, the meeting ends of the axle sections being formed with circumferentially extending flanges, a split shroud fitting snugly about the inner end portions of said axle sections and rotatable thereon, the intermediate portion of said shroud being formed with an internal annular recess receiving the flanges of said axle sections to prevent longitudinal movement of the shroud and axle sections relative to each other, the end portions of the shroud being reduced externally to form necks at opposite sides of an enlarged intermediate portion and securing rings fitting about the necks in engagement with opposite ends of the enlarged intermediate portion of said shroud and shrunken into tight binding engagement with the shroud and serving to retain the shroud in place about the axle sections.

l. A railway axle comprising sections aligned and having their inner ends contacting and formed with registering sockets, a dowel pin mounted in the pockets of said axle sections, the meeting ends of the axle sections being formed with circumferentially extending flanges, a split shroud fitting snugly about the inner end portions of said axle sections and rotatable thereon, the intermediate portion of said shroud being formed with an internal annular recess receiving the flanges of said axle sections to prevent longitudinal movement of the shroud and axle sections relative to each other, the end portions of the shroud being reduced externally and at their ends formed with outstanding annular beads, and rings to retain said shroud in place about said axle sections fitting about thereduced ends portions of the shroud and shrunken into place between the beads and intermediate portion of the shroud.

MARIO FRANCIS TORAZZI. 

